Report on HR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Report on HR - Essay Example Effective human resource management would encourage team playing and would enhance collective performance in the organisation along with accentuating the individual performances. In case of performance management, a sound human resources policy would allow individuals to grow along with the growth of the organisation. This would entail involvement of the people in the work that they are assigned and autonomy in the context of the work done. There are several aspects of human resources which have a positive impact on the employees and help them to perform better in the organisation. The HRM can assign challenging and mentally stimulating jobs to the employees so that the employees find diversity and interest in the work that they do. The human resources managers often take several indicators which show that the organisational performance is increasing. Thus they try to make improvement in these indicators to bring an improvement in the overall organisational performance. In case of Wa l-Mart for example, the performance of each of the retail outlets is estimated by the HR department of Wal-Mart by analysing the length of the queues in the billing counters, the level of stocks that lie on the shelves and the stocks that are remaining at the end of the day. These are the key indicators that provide the HR department an idea about the areas where the performance can be improved to generate greater profits. (Harter, Schmitdt and Hayes, 2002, pp. 268-279). The managers in Wal-Mart act as the immediate superiors of the lowest level and junior level employees. Therefore it is important for the managers to encourage the employees to perform better in the daily activities of the retail store. The employees on the other hand should have respect for the managers and should be motivated by them for the achievement of any target that they need to meet. The human resource policies of Wal-Mart are progressive in nature in the sense that the implementation of the HR policies sho uld be done with efficiency and the goals that the line managers set for the employees have to be in accordance with the organisational policies. Thus it is essential for the managers to have leadership skills which would drive a positive energy in the entire organisation culture. Mutual respect should flow bilaterally for the line managers and the junior employees. The relations of the employees with the organisation and its various elements are some of the major benchmarks of the organisational effectiveness. The Human Resource Departments of the organisations generally engage the employee into participation programmes

Into Thin Air Paper Essay Example for Free

Into Thin Air Paper Essay Trusting others is a very difficult thing to do. It is important to trust others because humans cannot do everything by themselves. For example, Krakauers group had to rely on each other, so if one member is in trouble, another person had to help as soon as they could. If they do not trust each other, everyone would not make it up to the top of the mountain alive. Krakauer was afraid to be able to trust others because he felt very uncomfortable relying on inexperienced climbers, but he had to learn to trust them because he needs to survive the climb up the mountain. To climb a mountain, all climbers must have a group and a guide. Loyalty/respect of others on the mountain is essential because one can help another survive the journey. One must be willing to risk their own life and save another. The climbers lives are in the guides hands. Loyalty/respect is required for the guide because they give important information on how to climb properly and how to survive. An example from the book is how the guide, Rob Hall, helped an injured climber get down safely. At this point, it does not matter whom acts like what because the most important thing is for the people to survive the climb on Mount Everest. Climbing a mountain involves hard work, trust, and loyalty/trust. If one was not working hard or listening to the guide, his or her life is in danger. For example, one person did not listen to the guide when he was ill, so he was on the verge of dying because of his careless decision. This books highlights an important lesson: always trust and respect the people around you because they can always help you. People can make very poor decisions, and those who can help, help others to survive.

VIOLENT PROGRAMS ON TELEVISION LEAD TO AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR BY CHILDREN

Since 1982, the National Institute of Mental Health, along with other reputable health organizations has collected data that connects media violence, with violent acts. Conclusions deduced from this data prove that violent programs on television lead to aggressive behavior by children and teenagers who watch those programs. Television violence affects young people of all ages, all socio-economic levels, and all levels of intelligence. Today’s children view vast amounts of violence on television. A steady diet of death, killings, torture, and other grotesque acts may be viewed on any day by vulnerable youth. When children are young, they are impressionable to all their surroundings, and especially vulnerable to what they see. Scientific research validates this fact. In studies by the National Institute of Mental Health, educators have learned that children who watch violence often act out this violence. Parents today have a responsibility to ensure their children are supervised when watching violent programs if they are allowed to watch these programs at all. When parents are in the room with children, parents should point out to children that television is not real. Children tend to see television as real life, and lack the maturity to differentiate the difference between news and fiction programs on television. Studies by George Gerbner, Ph.D., at the University of Pennsylvania, have shown that children’s television shows contain about twenty violent acts each hour and that children who watch a lot of television are more likely to think that the world is a mean and dangerous place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Society sees many tragic examples of research findings on youth and television violence. One such example occurred in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1999. At the time, Justin Douglas was a cute, intelligent five-year-old little boy with loving parents and a safe; middle class home. One day, Justin watched his favorite cartoon heroes; Beavis and Butt-head, on MTV perform one of their famous arson stunts. The cartoon program, created for a mature audience, often contains foul language, drinking, comments about setting fires, smoking, and portrays stealing as acceptable. Justin tried the same stunt he had watched. The real life result was not a cartoon. His home was set on fire and his younger sister lost her life when she could not be rescued from t... ...fect that the observation of violence would have on the subject’s social behavior. The experimental group, which was exposed to the violence, was shown to push the red button, which was believed to hurt another child’s chances of receiving a prize. More often and for a significantly longer period than the children were shown an exciting non-violent film. The conclusion was that the exposure to violence is related to the acceptance of aggression. All of these studies lead to one thing, the fact that violence affects children and adults.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before the average American child leaves elementary school, researchers estimate that he or she will have witnessed more than 8,000 murders on television. This steady diet of imaginary violence makes America the world leader in real crime and violence. It is time for parents and the American public to take notice of the scientific evidence that proves the correlation between violence seen on television and violence acting out in our society. To ignore these studies continues the growing culture of violence in our country. As Texan writer Molly Ivans says, â€Å"the first rule of a hole is, if you are in one, stop digging.†

Unrestricted Capitalist Development and the International Monetary Fund

Unrestricted Capitalist Development and the International Monetary Fund: Their Economic and Social Effects on Buenos Aires. Argentina The day is Friday, December 21, 2001. After three days of massive riots the city of Buenos Aires looks like an abandoned battlefield. Its grand palm-lined avenues are strewn with burnt-out shells of cars, smashed glass, rocks, and twisted furniture. Unemployed people, pensioners, and women with babies climb through smashed supermarket windows searching for any food that looters left behind. Most banks and shops are closed, and dazed people wander the streets, confused and fearful of their nation’s state of affairs (Arie 11). The â€Å"battle† started on Monday, December 17, with massive food riots and looting of trucks transporting food, led by thousands of poor families. The Argentine government said there were 20,000 looters in Buenos Aires alone, as citizens broke into stores and smashed shop windows, stealing items including food, clothing, and toilet paper (Gardner 9). Food riots erupted in the working-class belt surrounding the capital, such as Lanus, as well (Rohter 6). Television footage from Rosario, a city northwest of Buenos Aires, showed more than one hundred slum dwellers descending on an overturned cattle truck and slaughtering the animals with sticks and knives so they could carry off chunks of meat (Abel 20). Silvia Tebez, an unemployed 27-year-old mother of three said, â€Å"a few hooligans made off with television sets and the like, but by and large these were parents who were hungry, with no money and no hopes of obtaining any† (Rohter 6). Hungry or not, the government, headed by President Fernando de la Rua, attempted to control the rioters by instituting a sta... ...State University of New York Press, 1987. Rodriquez, Alfonso. â€Å"Argentine Food Riots End, But Hunger Doesn’t.† The New York Times. 24 December 2001: 18. Rohter, Larry. â€Å"Argentine Food Riots End, But Hunger Doesn’t.† The New York Times.23 December 2001: A6. Soriano, Alex. â€Å"Argentine Police Smash Protest by Workers.† The Montreal Gazette.19 April 2002: 12. Sparr, Pamela. Mortgaging Women’s Lives: Feminist Critiques of Structural Adjustment. London and New Jersey: Zed Books Ltd., 1994. U.S. government. 12 April 2002: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook. Valente, Marcela. â€Å"Labor-Argentina: Workers Give New Life to Abandoned Factories.† Inter Press Service. 19 March 2002: 1-3. Ximenez, Daniel. â€Å"Argentina People Throw the Bastards Out.† Labor Notes. 22 February 2002. http://www.labornotes.com.

History of South Africa’s Apartied Essay

South Africa is a land of abundant natural resources with a mild climate, and lush fertile land. With natural resources like diamonds, gold, and platinum, it’s no wonder that the Dutch East India Company set up settlements on the Cape of Good Hope. These settlements established a trade port between South Africa and other countries. The 17th and 18th centuries, saw settlements popping up all over Africa. Settlers from France, England, Portugal, Belgium and Spain came, forcing the Africans from their lands and turning them into a labor force. By the 20th century the British had taken over most of the settlements in the northeast, east, west, and the center of South Africa and the French controlled most of the northwest. The Republic of South Africa has had a very turbulent 20th century. Although apartied officially started in 1948, South Africa’s history for racial domination began much earlier. The Land Act was put into place in 1913, restricting Black African citizens from buying land outside special areas or reserves. This act also allowed for black sharecroppers, living on â€Å"white land†, to be relocated to these reserves. Although the Act was not enforced often, it set the stage for the â€Å"Black Homelands†, which would come into play later. The National Party, a white pro-segregation party, was voted into power after WWII. They began preparing racial legislation, and in 1949, the Mixed Marriage Act became law, prohibiting whites and blacks from marrying. In 1950, the Immorality Act made it a crime for whites to have sexual relations with any other race. The Population Registration Act required all people living in South Africa to register their race. A child born from any union would immediately be registered with their race/ethnicity. Many other acts were introduced in the coming years. All were passed to seriously limit any economic, political, or educational opportunities for the black South Africans. These Apartied Acts actually resulted in the promotion of the Black Self-Government Act in 1958, and the Black Homeland Citizenship Act in 1971. The Self-Government Act established ten areas in South Africa called Homelands. These â€Å"Homelands† were divided based on the tribe formally living there. All tribe members were expected to return to this land, where they would live and be governed by their own self-government. With the 1971 Citizenship Act, tribes were no longer citizens of South Africa. Instead they would be citizens of their Homelands. RESISTANCE TO APARTIED One of the first political organizations that opposed apartied was Lumumba Yama Africa; they believed that African unity was the only way to fight the white government . This party started in the 19th century, encouraging many other parties to join them in this goal. The apartied was also influenced by outside powers, such as Gandhi. These organizations instituted revolts beginning in 1960, leaving 69 dead and 190 injured. Apartied did not receive international awareness when the laws were created in 1948. With the rise of the Civil Rights movement in the United States, and the troubles in Asia and the rest of the African continent, awareness was finally brought to light to the rest of the world. In November 1977, the United Nations also became involved, by imposing arms embargos December 1977saw other sanctions. Many countries brought more awareness by not allowing South African Airway to land in their country. The South African government, because they were experiencing great economic growth, chose to show indifference to any criticisms from other organizations or countries. Because the white South Africans were prospering economically, sanctions continued to be ignored. IT’S OVER Apartied finally came to an end in 1990. By 1991, all apartied laws were repealed. The sanctions by other countries and organizations were also repealed. Since then, the government has been working hard to improve economic growth by creating jobs and integrating the workforce. Even though racism still exists in South Africa; cooperation between races has improved significally. REFERENCES Apartied Timeline. (n. d. ). Apartied Timeline. Retrieved from http://cyberschoolbus. un. org/discrim/race_b_at_print. asp Apartied in South Africa. (n. d. ) In Wikipedia (Rep. ). (n. d. ). Retrieved from www-cs-studentsstanford. edu/~cale/cs201/apartied. hist. html White, G. W. , ;amp; Bradshaw, M. J. (2011). Essentials of world regional geography (2nd ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Euphemisms in politics essays

Euphemisms in politics essays Word choice in politics is always a contentious issue. In the case similar to prop 209, proposition a proponents of the bill are accused of using loaded and misleading terminology according to some harsh critics. I do not happen to side with the opponents of this bill in this situation. I adamantly oppose affirmative action and believe people should be promoted and hired based on experience and performance not some predetermined racially equal composition. In Houston it only applies to publicly funded organizations and institutions yet it still perpetuates the wrong message. That message is that we treat different races with different sets of rules. Affirmative action in certain circumstances has left the recipients of the jobs feeling a sense of charity and a certain undermining of the legitimacy of the position. In fact proposition 209 was drafted by an African American who shared similar sentiments toward the issue. The word choice utilized by the authors of this proposition poses no ambiguity or confusion to me. Propositions surrounding such an issue are heavily covered in mass media and any competent and informed voter should be able to decipher the objective of the proposition. A more detailed description alluding to the elimination of the employment for minority classes may be a bit more truthful but like Orwell said euphemisms just sound better in politics. Politicians generally do not cater to the apathetic masses because they infrequently vote. But when they vote they do deserve the right to not be confused throughout the process. This is a tricky debate but I have to side with the initial authors of the proposition in their word choice because in actuality that is the state of equality that Houston will return to in the event that affirmative action policies are repealed. If voters are too complacent to make that connection then that is there tough luck. Euphemis ...

BA 488 first section Essays

BA 488 first section Essays BA 488 first section Essay BA 488 first section Essay Essential Questions BA 488 1) What is personal selling? Relationship based selling 2) Explain the difference between traditional transaction focused selling and trust- based relationship selling. transaction based ends after the sale 3) How does personal selling contribute to society, businesses, and customers? Strengthens relationships leading to increased sales and productivity 4) Briefly describe the five alternative approaches to personal selling. Which are more transaction based and which are more trust-based? Stimilus Response-scripted Mental States- Curiosity_sales Need satisfaction Problem Solving consultative 5) Briefly describe the three major phases of the trust-based sales process. Understanding customer value -creating and communicating value and delivering value CH2 1) Trust is a very complex concept. What five questions that are commonly asked by customers are answered when the salesperson is trusted? 2) Identify and describe the five characteristics of a salesperson that help that salesperson to earn a customers trust. How can a salesperson demonstrate each of the characteristics? . Expertise, compatibility, customer orientation, dependability and candor ) In order for salespeople to earn customers trust, they must be knowledgeable in several different areas. Identify and briefly describe the various types of knowledge a good salesperson should possess. Why is it important for salespeople to have a good knowledge base in each of these different areas? a. Industry, company, produ ct, service, price,market,competitor, tech 4) Assume you get a Job as a sales representative. How can you determine which sales practices are ethical and which are unethical? Company laws and guidelines 5) American society clearly defines some practices, such as deception, as unethical. Identify three practices that qualify as deception. a. Exagerating benefits, unfounded answers withholding information 6) Some sales practices are deemed so unethical by our society that engaging in them has legal consequences. Describe four things you as a salesperson should not do to avoid any legal problems for yourself and your company. a. Bribery, Product liability, negligence, basis of the bargain CH3 1) Briefly describe six ways that business markets differ from consumer markets. a. Trained purchasing professionals, ritualized, buying teams, chasing demand, larger ccounts, more buyer power, concentrated demand 2) Outline the steps of the business buying process. What does the buyer do in each step? What opportunities for involvement and/or influence does the seller have in each step? a. Recognition of b. Determining quality needed c. Quantity of item needed d. Qualification of potential sources e. Acquisition andAnalysis of proposals f. Evaluation of proposals and selection of suppliers Selection of order routine g. h. Performance feedback 3) Some salespeople find it useful to categorize buyers various needs. How can this be helpful toa salesperson? Describe five types of needs that buyers may possess. a. Functional Needs- Features and prupose desired b. Situational Needs- Ability to meet demands-timely-capacity c. Social Needs- Benefits of associations d. Psychological Needs- Assurance and strong appeal e. Knowledge needs-How something is made/upkept 4) Many business buyers use a compensatory multiattribute model to make buying decisions. When you, as a salesperson, think that your potential customer is using this type of model, what can you do to give your company the best chance of coming out on top (that is, of being chosen as the provider)? Ask what they hold in high regards 1) Satisfying buyers is extremely important in sales because satisfied buyers become repeat buyers. Identify and describe the two types of attributes that influence buyer satisfaction. Which have the greater influence on satisfaction? What can you as a salesperson do to ensure that your customers are satisfied? 2 ) Describe the three types of business buying decisions. Assuming you are the salesperson, how will your involvement in the purchasing process differ for each type? Straight Rebuy, electronic data interschange Low Modified Rebuy Moderate New Task High ) Your text describes four different communication styles based on the communicators degrees of assertiveness and responsiveness. Briefly describe each of these communication styles. How can you identify each of the styles? What should you do to communicate effectively with people exhibiting each of the styles? High Responsive Low Low Assertive Amiables-Relationship oriented, slow paced. Low R, Low A Analyticals-Task oriented, Slow Pased High R high A Expressives, Relationship oriented and fast paced Drivers Task oriented and fast paced buying center). What is a buying team? Describe the different roles of buying team embers. What are some of the things that you as a salesperson must do to effectively sell to a buying team? Initiators†find the need Influencers†Engineering Users†evaluate how it will affect their Job users serve as both AA DECIDERS-Make the call Purchasers†Negotiate terms Gatekeepers†le secretaries CH4 1) One of the most important, if not the most important thing for a salesperson to do is to ask the customer relevant, timely, and well crafted questions. Describe the different types of questions you could use as a salesperson and the purpose(s) that each type of question serve(s). . Open ended, Closed ended, Multiple choice, probing, evaluative, tactical, Reactive 2) There are so many different types of questions and objectives you may want to accomplish that it is helpful to organize questions into an easy to remember system. One system you could use is the SPIN system. Describe the steps of SPIN. What is your goal (as the salesperson) in each step? What characteristics should your question(s) possess in each step? Provide an example of a question that you would ask in each step. SPIN Situational Question- ascertain who the supplier is, purchase decisions Problem Questions- current problems with suppliers products etc Implication Questions- Help buyer reach decision†IE how does this affect profitability Need-payoff Questions- Solutions†would increased deliveries increased productivity? 3) ADAPT is another questioning system that you could use. Describe the steps of ADAPT and answer the same questions for ADAPT as you did above for SPIN. ADAPT logic based funneling system Assesment†open ended general assessments Discovery†Probe into assessment discoverys to uncover potential gaps Activation† Show the negatives of the problem from previous steps to pique interest Projection† Speculate as to what life would be like if problem would be solved Transiton, Segway †so having a supplier who is on time is important to you? If I can show you how we can be that would you be interested in purchasing.. 1. In order to successfully sell products, services, ideas, or yourself, you need to listen well. By the way, listening well will also help you to succeed in other aspects of your life, including being a student, an employee, a boss, a partner, a spouse, a parent. the list goes on and on! ) Although we seem to listen all the time, most of us dont listen well very often ecause listening effectively takes effort and dedication. Describe six things that you need to do while listening in order to listen ef fectively. Pay attention, Monitor Nonvervals, Paraphrase and repeat, make no assumptions ask clarifying questions. Encourage buyer to talk. Visualize. 2. Now lets think about what is going on in your brain as you listen. The SIER model breaks down active listening into four steps that must be carried out thoroughly and in the proper order to achieve active listening. thoroughly complete each step before moving on to the next. SIER Sensing- Actually listening Interpreting† summarizing key points and asking questions Evaluating†seeing if you agree Respondingparalinguistic 3. Weve all heard the phrase, A picture is worth a thousand words. Studies in cognitive psychology seem to support this statement. People remember pictures far better than they remember words. Identify some ways that you as a salesperson can leverage buyers bias towards remembering images to engage in more effective sales dialogue. Abstract words and phrases, be graphic, bursting with flavor, concrete descriptions 4. Much of our communication is nonverbal. What percentage of the meaning contained in communication is co nveyed through nonverbal behavior? How might a buyer express particular meanings through nonverbal behavior? You should know a couple of behaviors that are warning signs that the sales call is not going well, and a couple that indicate that the buyer is interested. ) How can you as a salesperson express positive messages through your own nonverbal cues? 50 percent, Facial expressions, eye movements, body language, posture and orientations, proxemics CH5 1. What is prospecting? Why is it important for salespeople to prospect? The finding of new customers 2. Strategic prospecting involves generating, qualifying, and prioritizing sales opportunities. Describe the characteristics that distinguish a suspect from a prospect. (Hint: the acronym MAD is useful for remembering these characteristics. ) Why is qualifying and prioritizing prospects important? 3. Describe the four main sources of prospects outlined in your book. What is a referral? Who could you ask for a referral? How could noncompeting salespeople be helpful to you in your prospecting? Where can you look within your own company to find new prospects? Which sources are likely to produce the most promising prospects? Cold canvasing†cold calls referrals introductions Networking†centers of influence, non-competing sales people Company Sources† records, advertising inquiries trade shows seminars Published sources†directories commercial lead lists 4. Describe the five elements of a strategic prospecting plan. Explain why each is important for effective prospecting. Allocating time Keep records Stay positive Evaluate Set Goals 5. What preliminary information should you gather before contacting a prospect? Where could you look for this information? Internet

A-team case Essays

A-team case Essays A-team case Essay A-team case Essay The A-Team was established under a threat from Chinese companies as well as because of the declining demand for premium-priced bicycles In world markets. Under pressure, the cohesion of a group tends to be stronger. Thus Clans and Merriam Industry Co. Ltd (Merriam) decided to put aside their business competition and brought their suppliers together to develop a solution and to regain the reputation of Taiwan bicycle industry. Moreover, although these firms were competitors, the founder of Giant and the founder of Merriam were old friends and both led the bicycle industry in Taiwan. 2. Is there some relevance that the firms were all Taiwanese firms The Corporate Synergy Development Center (CDC), a semi-government agency, was created to assist Taiwanese firms in establishing production networks. It was characterized as a system of production in firms that were simultaneously specialized in a particular task but flexible in serving a wide range of market demands. 3. What kind of activities/mechanisms contributed to the mutual learning among A-Team members Firstly, the coaching team, which composed from Giant, CDC and Toyota Motors, had both the expertise needed and legitimacy. The team was helpful to Introduce TIPS and SIRS. Secondly, an Internal A-Team was formed by each member company to work with other members. It promoted mutual learning. Thirdly, in 2004, more learning and sharing activities were designed for co- development of innovative and high-value bicycles and parts. Thus those activities can teach most Taiwanese firms to learn how to work with others in developing new products. Fourthly, the e-platform was established for all members could work getter as well as the A-Team members and clients to exchanges Information and manage development projects. Finally, A-Team members engaged In monthly visits by consultants from Toyota Motors, discussion sessions, visiting members with good performance in TIPS and presentation by each member every five months. These activities can increase the interaction between individuals in member firms. 4. Is cooperating with a direct competitor (such as between Merriam and Giant) a viable prospect for the A-Team In the long term The Initial success of the A-Team shows hat how companies working together can enhance their competitiveness to counter external threats. The companies In the bicycle Industry in Taiwan know that there Is strong domestic and international demand for their high-end products. This is an implication for companies in other industries and these companies may potentially imitate the moves of the A-Team. 5. Is it okay if one partner gains more from the alliance than others That is okay. If the members gain more knowledge, skills and techniques form the alliance or others, they will be asked to contribute more own quenches and knowledge to others.

Compare sex difference and women talk too much Essay

Compare sex difference and women talk too much - Essay Example Conversely, â€Å"Women Talk Too Much† is a piece of art that was authored by Holms. From the article, the author has proved that it is a mythical believe and myth that women tends to talk a lot. From the two articles, there are various similarities and differences between the two essays. The main comparison between â€Å"Sex Differences† and â€Å"Women Talk Too Much† is that in both articles, the authors have tried proving that the manner in which people believe on the sex difference and more so on women is not correct (McGeown, 2012). On the other hand, the main difference between â€Å"Sex Differences† and â€Å"Women Talk Too Much† is based on ways in which the views of the authors are directed to the society. The ideas outlined by the authors are significant for people to develop the society. The authors of both â€Å"Sex Differences† and â€Å"Women Talk Too Much† argue in defending their ideas. Macaulay has used research work in supporting his idea. He started with the research chronology on books that were written by Jespersen way back in 1920. Jespersen book, he mentioned on ways in women were heavily stereotyped based on their use of language and the ways in which they understood their language. Based on the book, he showed the audience that, previously there was this belied that women are used to using easy words. Additionally, they focus especially on the main and central arena of their language. Similarly, men tend to hold the new words with a lot of ease. It was also mentio ned that female counterparts have a less reserve of their vocabularies compared to men. Additionally, he included that women are quick in linguistic and better compared to men. However, according to Macaulay, he believes that this is absolutely stereotype. Conversely, Holmes has used illustrations and examples in proving their ideas to prove who talks a lot

Portlandia Television Show Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Portlandia Television Show - Movie Review Example This paper will discuss whether the film is well-done or not, whether there should be a season three or not, and if there should be, which topics should it address. To the audience, at a first glance, Portlandia looks like a coterie television series that could only be clear to former university radio disc jockeys in their late 20s and early 30s. Featuring the dubious trio of Saturday Night Live's Sleater Kinney, Carrie Brownstein, and Fred Armisen, Portlandia is created atop a complicated system of allusions, nods, and winks. Andrew Singer and Jonathan Krisel directed the film specifically to post-hipsters, post-post-punk viewers, and to post-collegiate (Sidereel 1). Its humor might effortlessly alienate viewers from a variety of demographics. The series, which just concluded its leading season, turns this slim focus into its greatest force (Sidereel 1). Parts of the city that are presented in the show are In Other Words. It refers to a feminist bookstore that sells mostly books for ladies. The book store features heavily in season one. The second place is the Gilt Club. Gilt Club refers to the restaurant which Fred and Carrie try to find out facts regarding chicken in the pilot episode. The third place that features mostly in the show is Oblique Coffee Roasters. This refers to the place where Fred and Carrie meet with the mayor of Portlandia to discuss setting up a basketball team for Portland. Voodoo Doughnut is also one of the major spotlights of the show (Sidereel 1). The joint was dominant during the scavenger hunt where the team looked for clues in the doughnuts. Portland Esplanade was also covered in the show. Portland Esplanade was where the music video for Dream of the ’90s was shot. Wealth Underground Farm was also covered in the show. The farm was seen in the pilot episode at the time Carrie and Fred fell under the influence of its charming leader. Finally, the place where the rehearsal dinner took place is referred to as the Cathedral City P ark. In relation to how people in Portlandia look like, numerous social practices occur outside the art world, both public and private in nature. Portlandia citizens have these personalities. One explanation of why they are concerned with social practice is because it concerns expanding the potential of art practice. They prove that art is not a professional, elite or a lone act. It can be a spirit or a means of living in the world. The Portlandia citizens are seen as supporters of this spirit. With regards to the way people in the show talk, the tone is set from the leading episode. Coming back from a trip in Portland, Fred asks Carrie: â€Å"Do you ever think of the 90s? Individuals were conversing about getting piercings, having tribal tattoos and they were singing about saving the world and setting bands. There is still a region where that thought lives.† Fred also reminds Carrie of the poem concerning Portland which recommended sleeping till 11 in the morning and not doi ng any job.

How Could Leader Be Ethical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

How Could Leader Be Ethical - Essay Example The best leaders are the ones who have a well understanding of ethical behavior and values, and exhibit them fully, day to day, in their words and actions during their leadership. Therefore, ethical leadership is important as this is what differentiates between a capable leader and an incompetent one. But what exactly is ethical leadership? Most of us simple define it as ‘being led by a leader with good character’. But in reality, there is more to it than just that. The respect for values, a strong character, ability to listen, understand, mentor and navigate along with integrity and courage are just some of the basic qualities a leader should possess (Ciulla, 2007). Only then can he set an example for others to follow and seek guidance from. The most essential job for a good leader is to develop the atmosphere of trust and understanding among his people. Workplaces lacking trust face huge difficulties in working in a peaceful and coordinated environment. Trust can only be created if the leaders stick to the promises they make with their people. Dr. Duane C. Tway calls trust a ‘construct’, because it can take years, possible ages, to build but a minute to shatter (Ciulla, 1998). Therefore, even a minor conflict, element of hypocrisy or breaking of promises will result in the development of mistrust among the people and thus, cause productivity to suffer. Leaders can narrate morally rich, success stories to their followers but true ethical leaders live by their words and lead by self examples. This indeed is no ordinary job in today’s cruel world of business tycoons and political turmoil. So often, we have heard sky banging claims of leaders making promises to their electorates in the election campaign. However, their balloons get flat when they get to the throne – non ethical behavior. Likewise, CEOs in any organization are public figures, under close supervision of their subordinates (Ciulla, 2007). Every word uttered mu st be fulfilled, failing which their trust worthy model and front leading role will be destroyed forever. To judge the ethics of leaders, it is important that we analyze the circumstances in which they have to work. Leaders, strictly speaking, are part and parcel of their organization management taken as decision and policy makers. Thus, they must have a broad vision, sense of purpose and the ability to judge things beforehand. This allows them to navigate and guide their people through the hurdles and emerge at the end, successful and prosperous. But, it is to be noted here that guiding does not mean regarding them as followers, and are to be dictated. Rather, a good leader must understand that they and their people all have a mutual vision and purpose, and therefore, must aspire to develop a feeling of consensus among the workplace (Ciulla, 1998). Concurrently, a successful leader must keep both ends of communication channel open and available round the clock. Sharing different vi ews, opinions and values with colleagues and subordinates does enhance the understanding of common goals set for all. This way, a leader raises the ethical standards far above the individual’s level to higher organization level. Everyone feels loyal to the company, an unfathomable trust that is not deterred by change of faces. Our history is full of successful leaders who are known as the icons of ethical values for their followers. Roger Enrico,

Surrealism and Dada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Surrealism and Dada - Essay Example The essay "Surrealism and Dada" explores such movements as surrealism and dada. To elaborate on how certain aspects inspire the emergence of an art movement, the following study essay will evaluate two art movements; Dada and surrealism, giving their inspiring factors, how they differ, and how they are similar to each other. This art movement emerged around the 20th century in Hannover, Berlin, Paris, New York and Zurich. History has it that the movement was born out of resistance, inspired by the war, World War I, that was going on. Dada art was about provocation and confrontation of the already established (ancient) values of art, going against all the set norms. There is evidence that Dadaists were against the colonialist and bourgeois nationalist interests who to them were the initiators of the war, and as such, resisted much of what society had been accustomed to, and art was not an exception. In short, it was the opposite of what art used to be, and there was no following of an y set rules. Under the wider Dadaism, there was graphic design, poetry, theatre, and most importantly visual arts. The main attribute of Dada art was that it was meant to provoke an emotional reaction from the audience, and particularly outrage or shock, and when any form of art intended to be Dada failed in achieving these attributes, it had to be taken back to the drawing board until it achieved its mandate. Art would only be attributed to as being Dada if it resisted the societal norms, or rather, the type of art that people.

Rite of Passage in the Western Culture Research Paper

Rite of Passage in the Western Culture - Research Paper Example At every important point of a person’s life, a rite of passage helps in the transition from one phase to another. The concept of rite of passage has appealed to many sociologist and anthropologists such as Arnold van Gennep who formed the term rite of passage and gave the different ceremonies practised in different religions and societies, a common word. Gennep further categorized the three phases in three phases, namely separation, transition and incorporation. Gennep through studying the different ceremonies in different religions and societies had been able to find a common ground in all these ceremonies by studying the underlying concept in these rites of passage. Rite of passage in different races, religions and societies differ but they usually celebrate the same events in an individual’s life but in different ways. Similarly, the rite of passage of the west differs from that of the east and the rite of passage of Christianity differs from that of Islam. In this paper, we attempt to analyze the concept behind the rite of passage and the western ways of conducting rites of passage. Rite of passage can be likened to Shakespeare’s ‘Seven ages of man’, where a man changes drastically from one stage of another. From the time an individual is born to the time when he is buried, the rite of passage helps him in a smooth movement from one transition to another. According to Victor Turner, rites of passage can be divided into two broad categories, those that ‘accompany the passage of a person from one social status to another and (those that) mark recognized points in the passage of time, such as new year, new moon, Passover and so forth’ (Klingbeil, 2007). Thus rites of passage are both religious and social. Religious rite of passage includes the rituals that are carried forward from endless times and differ in each religion to a certain extent. One can find similarities between the  religious rites of passage of different religions in the way that they celebrate the same events.  

Surrealism and Dada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Surrealism and Dada - Essay Example The essay "Surrealism and Dada" explores such movements as surrealism and dada. To elaborate on how certain aspects inspire the emergence of an art movement, the following study essay will evaluate two art movements; Dada and surrealism, giving their inspiring factors, how they differ, and how they are similar to each other. This art movement emerged around the 20th century in Hannover, Berlin, Paris, New York and Zurich. History has it that the movement was born out of resistance, inspired by the war, World War I, that was going on. Dada art was about provocation and confrontation of the already established (ancient) values of art, going against all the set norms. There is evidence that Dadaists were against the colonialist and bourgeois nationalist interests who to them were the initiators of the war, and as such, resisted much of what society had been accustomed to, and art was not an exception. In short, it was the opposite of what art used to be, and there was no following of an y set rules. Under the wider Dadaism, there was graphic design, poetry, theatre, and most importantly visual arts. The main attribute of Dada art was that it was meant to provoke an emotional reaction from the audience, and particularly outrage or shock, and when any form of art intended to be Dada failed in achieving these attributes, it had to be taken back to the drawing board until it achieved its mandate. Art would only be attributed to as being Dada if it resisted the societal norms, or rather, the type of art that people.

Trends in porting existing PC applications to the mobile environment Research Paper

Trends in porting existing PC applications to the mobile environment - Research Paper Example This makes porting existing PC applications to the mobile environment an uphill task for the developers (Damianos Gavalas and Daphne Economou) Interoperability is by far the largest impediment in application development. There are so many devices that run on totally different operating systems, having different screen sizes among other local requirements of the markets. Mobile app developers are therefore faced with a unique challenge of making apps that will work flawlessly across the different platforms. That is why porting of applications is probably the most important concern for app developers today. When porting of applications, there are three important considerations to make. The first is the device type. You have to consider that the app will be running on smart phones, brew devices, or J2ME devices. The second consideration to make is the operating systems used. Quite a number of mobile apps usually need some native functions of a specific operating system. This makes it almost impossible for developers to write code only once and reuse it across the different platforms. Thirdly, you need to consider the device features. Different mobile devices have different features like screen size, keyboard types, and internal memory. A good app must put the variations into perspective (Damianos Gavalas and Daphne

Chevrolet Case Analysis Essay Example for Free

Chevrolet Case Analysis Essay Then: ​ In the beginning, Chevrolet positioned itself strongly as a theme of â€Å"quality vehicle with deep roots in America’s past. Priding themselves on the traditional representation of the sporty car brand, Chevrolet has made great strides over the years. Firmly entrenching the brand as a key part of the American culture, Chevrolet has made many attempts to associate with American sporting events. For example, Chevrolet sponsored the All ­American Soap Box Derby for a decade. In addition to sponsoring events, Chevrolet also sponsored drivers with their vehicles for racing circuits such as NASCAR. Another subcategory Chevrolet used along with the American theme was patriotism in its promotional aspects. Taglines with the phrases â€Å"America’s Best Seller,† â€Å"America’s Best Buy,† and â€Å"Like a Rock,† were all famous for reminding consumers about Chevy’s great history as an American leader for automaking. This was perhaps the biggest aspect of Chevrolet’s branding as a company in the United States. However, when it came to Chevrolet as a leading automaker overseas, four values represented the company to their foreign consumers: durability, value, practicability, and friendliness. Many of their various taglines surrounding these values create  strong brand cohesiveness. Although Chevrolet has adopted more of a global brand strategy, it still customizes its branding to appeal to certain markets. Now: ​ Currently, Chevrolet is making plans to launch new vehicles and continue advertising and promoting their brand to consumers. Despite the recall at the beginning of the 2014 year, according to Chevrolet’s marketing leaders,â€Å"the automaker is not spending more on advertising or incentives than previously   budgeted and isnt likely to change that strategy† (â€Å"GM Stick with Marketing Plan Despite Recall†Ã‚ ­ USA Today). The plan is to focus on the product and not the publicity of trying to defend themselves as a company. Therefore, there will not be a recall ad and instead there will be just ads showing new products introduced recently. As stated before, Chevrolet is looking to spend more marketing money and energy on its full ­size pickups and SUVs this year. On the other side, Chevrolet is using the NFL Superbowl in hopes to boost not only national but global awareness with its ads. Chevrolet continues to also sponsor sports with â€Å"​  Chevrolets jersey sponsorship with English soccer club Manchester Unitedwill put the Chevrolet bowtie logo in front of the clubs worldwide fan base of some 700 million people..† (â€Å"Audi, Chevy and Lincoln Plan to Boost Ad Spending in 2015†  ­ AdAge)​ . Chevrolet’s current marketing innovations regarding technology with 4G LTE in its vehicles also proves that Chevrolet plans to remain relevant with consumer wants and needs. The GMC Problem Chevrolet’s biggest problem is in fact it’s biggest company supporter, GMC. GM is the starting point for Chevrolet, yet it has been not once but twice in a position that jeopardizes the equity of the Chevrolet brand. GMC is the problem for Chevrolet because of their bad publicity regarding the 2008 bailout and 2014 recall crisis thus far. As mentioned before, Chevrolet’s association and alliance with GMC causes them to have a bad reputation at times, even with Chevrolet’s freedom to stand on   its own as a brand. In the case of GM, the company’s bankruptcy and subsequent bailout had the ability to contaminate its four brands of vehicles, in spite of their individual merits. Therefore, Chevrolet has to figure out how they are going to deal with the bad publicity domino effect that falls upon them every time GM fails. Recommendations Even with a company as successful as Chevrolet, there is always room for improvement. Tactical modifications that can be made to enhance the Chevrolet brand’s equity to remain substantial while in alliance with GM could be examples of: brand decisions to enhance self ­image and product loyalty, increasing brand value from recognition and preference to brand  insistence for their products, and focusing slightly on marketing strategies for ethical and social responsibility if they continue to be a part of GM. Chevrolet is a high quality brand nonetheless, however, they focus on American vehicle tradition where they could take a step back and focus on the consumer. If Chevrolet would reposition a few of their vehicles to show how it would enhance the self ­image of the consumer driving a sporty yet luxurious car, there is a possibility they will get great feedback in sales. Consumers currently are looking for mass customization products that can be used on every level of purchasing decisions. Therefore, it would a smart move for Chevrolet to focus on the consumer even more as the â€Å"person behind the car† (â€Å"man behind the mask†), while still including valuable information about the car itself.

Second Punic War Could Have Been Avoided History Essay

Second Punic War Could Have Been Avoided History Essay I was born as Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, I am also known as Scipio Africanus, otherwise referred to as Scipio the Elder. I was the statesman of the Roman Republic and later a general during the Second Punic War. I defeated Hannibal during the final battle of the Second Punic War which took place at Zama. The victory at Zama earned me the name the Roman Hannibal, the agnomen Africanus; I am as well recognized as the best commander-in-chief in military history. The Second Punic War took place from 218 BCE to 201 BCE. The second Punic war could have been avoided, but since Carthage felt that the First Punic War was concluded on harsh terms, they ensure that another war followed in 218BC, approximately twenty three years after the end of the First Punic War. I believe that the treaty was fair, but since Hannibal hated Rome he believed that the treaty was complicated, and had several political results. Since Carthage violated the treaty, we asked them to totally relinquish Sicily and the Aegadian Islands, which was positioned on west of it, in addition to the tiny islands that located between Sicily and Africa. The most instant political consequence of the First Punic War was the collapse of Carthages naval authority.   They as well had to return all our prisoners of war without ransom to Rome; nevertheless they had to make a huge payment for the Carthaginians. The Carthaginians were not allowed to hit Syracuse and her associates, and the as sociates of both Rome and Carthage were not permitted to have conficts on each other. An undersized group of Islands, Aeolian Islands which is north of Sicily as well as Ustica that had earlier belonged to Carthage were to be reassigned to Romes control (Tim, Boris and Philip, 10).    We equally had great powers of the Mediterranean; we had friendly agreements with each other that is, Rome and. Nevertheless, tensions increased as the economic interests of every party commenced to leave no space for the other. Whereas Carthage was larger and better-off with an excellent Navy, we had a strong government supported by inexhaustible land mass of citizens. I believe that conflicts particularly took place because of a clash of economic interests between Carthage and our country Rome. The Sicilian War as well referred to as the First Punic War started in 264BC because of both Rome and Carthage wanted to have exclusive power over Sicily. We became victorious in the Aegates Islands following twenty three years of war, by struggling to match Carthages tough naval power.   We decided the terms of the treaty ensuring that there was peace between Rome and Carthage (Howard, 16). Hannibal Barcas father imposed hatred in him when he was still young which made him dislike Rome. When Hannibal felt that Rome violated an accord which his brother-in-law, Hasdrubal the Fair of Carthage signed with the Romans at the end of the First Punic War, he decided to plot a Romans attack. Hannibal initiated the war, which could have been avoided through negotiations and understanding, between us the Romans and Carthage (Richard, 64). We both upheld the Ebro Treaty shortly after the Romans defeated Hamilcar Barca of Carthage in the First Punic War. This treaty signed at the end of the First Punic War enabled carthage to patrol and build up any land towards the south River Ebro, near the northeast of Barcelona, nevertheless the treaty did not allow the Carthaginians to cross River Ebro. As a roman leader, I suggested I wanted the treaty to stop land acquisition in southern Ebro, and thought it was generous to grant Carthage the right to use any region at all not previously under Carthaginian control. Hannibal felt that the Ebro treaty restricted his right to use north of the Ebro which he believed was amongst the unconquered territories. We could have settled this matter without any fighting but Hannibal detested Rome so much that he was not ready to have any peace talks (Tim, Boris and Philip, 27). As Romans we were afraid that Carthage was on the limit of breaking the Ebro treaty and as a result Hannibal would gain control of Carthages Iberian venture, that is why we chose to violate the Ebro Treaty first and united with Saguntum, a city which is south of the Ebro, I afterward expelled Carthaginian representatives from the city. Consequently the young Carthaginian leader Hannibal laid barricade to the town, which collapsed after eight months. Even though Saguntum was located in a good position in south of the Ebro, we still thought that by Hannibal attacking the town, which had sensitive relations with our country, was Carthages part of violating the Ebro Treaty, that is why we sent various officials to Carthage, commanding reparations. Carthaginian senate backed Hannibal this time despite having had many differences. Carthage sent back my roman people with the message that they supported their young commander Hannibal, and they felt that the treaty was totally voided. Hannibal had previously been in command of Carthages Iberian efforts, nevertheless he had been setting up a military invasion of the Mediterranean for approximately two years before his ultimate siege of Saguntum, and consequently he twisted that Iberian coastal town into a Carthaginian base, and chose to set his implement his plans (Richard, 36). Carthages prime foundation in Europe at the era, was New Carthage which was west of Saguntum inside Iberia, moreover, after the disbanding of the Ebro Treaty as well as the siege of Saguntum, this is where Hannibal Barca assembled his men and prepared to protest through Gaul , and downward through the Alps to attack us. Even though he was militarily very skilled, and was competent to secure major conquests, for instance at the Battles of Trebia as well as Cannae we were just too strong for Carthage. Hannibal returned to Carthage defeated, furthermore the citys control of Iberia in addition to many other countries was handed us. In conclusion, I believe that the Second Punic War could have been avoided, as the Rome general, I was ready to hold peace talks with Hannibal but he was not willing. Under the circumstances negotiation could not have occurred and as a consequence, there was no mutual understanding between us. The nullification of the Ebro Treaty between Rome and Carthage was the main cause of The Second Punic War. Carthage pushed us to first violate the Ebro Treaty they could have chose to communicate to us but instead the reacted violently, the Second Punic War could not have occurred.

Chapmans Version of The Odyssey and the Iliad Essay -- John Keats Epi

Chapman's Version of The Odyssey and the Iliad This poem is an expression of how the poet John Keats felt after rediscovering Homer's "The Odyssey and the Iliad" when he read Chapman's English translation of this Greek classic. To express this he uses the form of a sonnet, with fourteen lines, every set of two lines rhyming. The first four lines are one long sentence consisting mainly as metaphors to summarize his full meaning in whole. "Much have I travell'd in the realms of gold, and many goodly states and kingdoms seen". This can be understood only in a "literary" and not a "literal" sense. I say this because he was relatively poor and probably had traveled very little when he wrote this poem at age 21.* But we know that he had a strong passion for literature. * John Keats is trying to tell us that he has traveled and explored the rich realms of literature. "Round many western islands I have been which bards in fealty to Apollo hold". Keats is using "western Islands" to cause us to think of ever new vistas of constant discovery. Keats is stressin...

Mother Teresa Essay -- essays research papers

She dedicated her life serving the poor. She loved the unloved, cared for the un-cared, helped the dying, the cripple, and the mentally ill. She served everyone with her love and the love of God. She touched the hearts of those who doubted her because of her love and commitment to God. Mother Teresa lived an extraordinary life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, later named Mother Teresa, was born on August 26, 1910 in Skopje, Yugoslavia. She was born into an Albanian Roman Catholic family. There were three children, one boy and two girls. She was the youngest. She attended the government school. In her teens, Agnes became a member of a youth group in her local parish called Sodality. Through her involvement with their activities guided by Yugoslavian priests, Agnes became interested in missionaries in India. There, letters from Yugoslavian priests working in Bengal were read. Young Agnes was one of the Sodalists who volunteered for the Bengal Mission.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When she turned eighteen, she left home to join the Irish Loreto order, whose Sisters ran a mission in Calcutta, India. Mother Teresa’s first assignment was teaching high school girls in Calcutta from 1929 to 1946. There she taught geography at the St. Mary’s High School. For some years, she was a principal of the school and was also in charge of the Daughters of St. Anne, the Indian religious order attached to the Loreto Sisters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By December 1, 1928 Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu had chosen the name of Sister Mary Teresa of the Child Christ after Teresa of Liseux. â€Å"On May 24, 1937, Sister Teresa committed herself to her vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience for life and in doing so became, as was then usual for Loreto nuns, ‘Mother Teresa’† (Spink 17).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1946, she wanted to work directly with the poor. She applied for permission to go out and work among the poor in the slums of the city. â€Å"It was among these people that she felt a call to work, and to spend the rest of her life, in daily contact with them† (Spink 224). Her request to work with the poor was granted. Finally, she changed from the uniform of the Loreto order to the customary cheap Indian sari. Her work started after an intensive course in nursing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In addition to the Sisters, Mother Teresa founded four other bra... ...d.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Establishing one’s goal and devoting her life to the helpless, this is the story of Mother Teresa. Not only was she a servant of god, she was recognized as a mother to many. â€Å"I'm just a little pencil in his hand. Tomorrow, if he finds somebody more helpless, more hopeless, I think he will do still greater things with her and through her† (Crimp 85). Mother Teresa lived an extraordinary life. With one word to describe her, I would say she was miraculous.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Work Cited Crimp, Susan. Touched by a Saint: Personal Encounters with Mother Teresa. Notre   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dame, Indiana: Sorin Books, 2000. Muggeridge, Malcolm. Something Beautiful for God: Mother Teresa of Calcutta. New   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  York: Harper & Row, 1971. Spink, Kathryn. Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography. San Francisco:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  HarperSanFrancisco, 1997. -------.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Miracle of Love: Mother Teresa of Calcutta, her Missionaries of Charity, and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  her Co-workers. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1981.

Jillian Michaels Biographical Essay Essay

People tend to gain weight because they want to fill an emotional void. For many, this void get filled with food. Like a chasm, the void represents a deep hole that feels inescapable. Most people feel so insecure and weak, that the idea of losing weight seems insurmountable. Jillian Michaels, the trainer from The Biggest Loser, helps people overcome emotional obstacles that manifest themselves in their physical beings. Born in Los Angeles California, and raised in Santa Monica, Jillian carried around issues like that of any child. Devastated by her parents’ divorce, Jillian found herself struggling with weight problems in her early teens. At the age of twelve, Jillian weighed almost 175 pounds. Realizing Jillian’s weight problem, her mom signed her up for a martial arts class. Five years later, at the age of seventeen Jillian put her passion for fitness to work and became a personal trainer. Today, Jillian stands at 5’2†, and weighs about 125 pounds. Although petite, the rambunctious character shines through in her reality show The Biggest Loser. Oftentimes, Jillian screams, â€Å"Unless you puke, faint, or die, keep going!† As these words echo through the gym, Jillian Michaels gives out beatings to her contestants, weighing in at almost four hundred pounds, these people allowed themselves to become morbidly obese. Glued to a couch for years, you might, in fact, mistake these people for a bouncy house. In one day on The Biggest Loser, they go from zero movement to full-fledged cardio vascular activity. Using erratic techniques such as plyometrics, boxing, and circuit training, weight gets shredded by the pound. Most might say that Jillian Michaels comes off as intimidating and mean, mainly because she enjoys screaming at people and watching them drop like flies. Like a drill Sargent, Jillian Michaels yells at her contestants as if they were soldiers. Her scream, shrill and blood curdling, encourages and motivates. These contestants, basically on the edge of death, put their lives in the hands of Jillian Michaels. She only yells because she cares and wants to help these people save their lives. Exercise, especially on the Biggest Loser, holds considerable importance. However, Jillian finds it crucial to also eat healthy. While you do burn calories exercising, you can just as easily eat right through them. Jillian, of course, uses her own life as an example for how people should eat and live. Eating mainly organic, she doesn’t see the need to feed our bodies harsh preservatives and chemicals, such as Taco Bell. In many health magazines, Jillian also talks about portioning. She says as long as you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. Although difficult, it definitely can be achieved. While considered uptight and neurotic, Jillian does, however, show a compassionate side. She pushes everyone until they break, or until their emotions start to bubble over. Latching on like a leach, Jillian starts to focus on the source of the problem. It is a reoccurring theme that obese people gain weight due to psychological factors. Well aware of this, Jillian uses it to her advantage. She finds the issue that made these people gain weight in the first place, and then helps them accept it. By discovering the original problem, these people start to better understand themselves. Jillian helps them realize why they gained weight, and this allows them to prevent it from happening again. Many people hire a personal trainer to get their butt kicked; or maybe to push them farther than they thought imaginable. With two reality shows, six books, and multiple fitness videos, we can conclude that Jillian Michaels is here to help. Jillian stresses the idea of exercise and healthy eating, while also encouraging the idea of therapy and clearing up your past. At first glance you might say that Jillian comes off as a simple TV character who doesn’t really care about anyone but herself. However, after thorough digging, the love Jillian shows for humanity becomes apparent. Finding drive or desire to exercise sometimes proves to be difficult. With Jillian Michaels’ help, you will find the support and inspiration you need to get off the couch and start moving. Making the world better one over weight person at a time, I hope to one-day give back to the world as much as Jillian Michaels.

Political Issues Regarding the Hispanic Population

Political Issues Regarding the Hispanic Population Courtney Warner ETH/125 Cultural Diversity Instructor Michelle Ward Saturday May 8, 2010 Political Issues Mexican Americans, Puerto Rican Americans, Cuban Americans, and Dominican Americans have separate cultures but both include strong family bonds and religious beliefs. These cultural groups are classified into the Hispanic American category because they share the Spanish language. â€Å"Although these groups share the same language each group has a different dialect and origin. Cuban and Dominican Americans have made the greatest developments in the social and political stand point. Puerto Rican Americans have made progress on the homeland in the economic view. While some groups resist assimilation into the American lifestyle, others have embraced it. † (Alba, 2006). Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Dominican Americans have many resemblances but still remain separate in their ethnicity and are descendants from a variety of immigrants. The main reason for these groups immigrating to the United States was for a safe environment free of political issues occurring in their countries and to seek a better way of life. Mexican Americans have attained both social and economic status, broken the language barrier, and achieved legal status in the United States. Most Mexicans that come to America are looking to work hard and overcome the obstacles they faced politically and economically in Mexico. The political issues facing Mexicans are typically the same as any foreign immigrant. Voting is a challenge. The voting of the Hispanic population is down because the majority of Mexicans are not legal citizens which prevent them from voting. According to the Census Bureau (2008), it is estimated that 1. 7 to 2. million percent of the United States population is illegal immigrants. The Hispanic population has not obtained political power equal to its proportion of population. Through years of protests and debates bilingual voting is now an option for counties with large numbers of non American speaking citizens. Bilingual education is also another very important political issue in the Mexican community. Origi nally schools in America only taught one language with the exception of extra credit language courses. With the rising number of immigrants the school boards in heavily populated Mexican communities are now offering bilingual classes. Immigration laws are also a constant debate with Hispanic members. After years of failed attempts at passing new immigration laws, with the new Obama administration hopes are high that immigration reform will be put back on the national agenda. English is the primary language of Puerto Rican Americans. English is taught in Puerto Rican elementary schools since Puerto Rico is commonwealth of the United States. Even though Puerto Rica is considered commonwealth it still has its own constitution, legislature, and governor but is subject to the rules and regulations of the United States. The commonwealth status allows all Puerto Ricans American citizenship, making them migrants not immigrants. Puerto Rican American assimilation has been both successful and problematic. Puerto Ricans living in the United States and Puerto Rico are still experiencing issues with drug use and crime. Lack of educational opportunities and failure in family structures are also causing struggles in the Puerto Rican population. The political involvement of Puerto Ricans and other minorities in the United States is small in comparison to their population size. Less than half of the Puerto Rican population has taken advantage of their voting privileges. Once Puerto Ricans become more settled as residents, they start to participate in politics. For most Puerto Rican residents their primary concern is to search for better economic conditions rather than become a member of a political party. The majority of these immigrants that chose this route are non-English speaking and not able to join or participate in an election. Instead, the immigrants are more likely to become members of religious organizations because they are accustomed to these religious ways in their country. Religion plays a major role in family and political life. Recent discussion amongst Puerto Rican government officials is pushing for Puerto Rico to become a legitimate U. S. state. Cuban Americans have asserted themselves politically and economically in the Miami, Florida area and are becoming the dominant ethnic community. In Florida this is where the most noteworthy Cuban American political organizations, research centers, and cultural institutions exist. Between 1989 and 1990, 78% of Cuban Americans registered to vote in comparison to 49. 3% of Mexican Americans, and 49. 9% of Puerto Ricans. Cuban Americans also seem to have a better economic security than other Hispanic groups. The average Cuban American income in 1986 was roughly $26,700 which was more than $6,700 for all Hispanic households. Cuban Americans are also highly educated; a vast majority has completed either college or graduate schooling. Cuban Americans are noted to be conservative politically and tend to vote for the Republican Party. The most important political organization in the Cuban American community is the Cuban American National Foundation (CANF). This organization is dedicated to restructuring U. S. olicy toward Cuba and removing Castro from Cuba. The CANF is also responsible for raising money for political purposes and lobbying elected officials. There has been much progress made in the Cuban American’s political role, they elected Cuban Americans to Congress and dominated the local political scene in the Miami area. However, the core issues still remain in the political debate of Cuban Americans; migration, Castro, and U. S. Republicanism. Dominicans view education to be a primary concern. Dominicans in the United States have fought one of their most important political battles over education. It was in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, that they organized together to voice to the local board of education. The school board consisted of no Dominican citizens but the school itself had a majority or Dominican school agers. The Dominicans protested to put a Dominican on board and they were successful in their motives. This began the political mobilization for Dominicans in the education arena. Other important political issue’s the U. S. Dominican community is concerned with is the status of undocumented migrants into the United States, citizenship status, and the police violence towards Dominicans. There have been several organizations and lobbies created to achieve these rights. As of now, Dominicans have not been involved in National politics, but have made efforts at local levels. The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) is a research, policy, and education organization dedicated to â€Å"developing and implementing programs that promote the integration of Latino immigrants into American society, developing future leaders among Latino youth, providing assistance and training to the nation's Latino elected and appointed officials and †¦ conducting research on issues important to the Latino population†. With the recent election of an African American into U. S. Presidency demonstrates how our society has evolved. The important fact to understand is not that we have a black president, but we have come to terms and not dismiss a candidate based on race. WE need to consider other important issues like this election has brought understanding that new opportunities have been made available for minorities in the political world. Our modern day society is beginning to change by taking positive steps in the right direction. References Alba, R. (2006). Mexican Americans and the American dream. Political Science & Politics_. American Political Science Association. _ Retrieved April 30, 2009 from http://www. apsanet. org/imgtest/PerspectivesJun06Alba. pdf Ballasy, N. (2010). Top Puerto Rican Government Leaders Argue for Statehood on Capitol Hill. Retrieved from http://www. cnsnews. com/news/article/65006 Countries and Their Cultures. (2009). Multicultural America. Retrieved from http://www. everyculture. om/multi/index. html Mongillo, I. (2010) Yale-New Haven Teacher Institute. Puerto Rican Cultural Differences in Politics. Retrieved http://www. yale. edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1980/6/80. 06. 08. x. html NALEO Educational Fund. (2010). Action Urgently Needed on Comprehensive Immigration Reform. http://www. naleo. org/ Pew Hispanic Center (2010). Key Issues for Hispanic Voters Include Education, Economy and Health Care. Retrieved from http://pewhispanic. org/newsroom/releases/release. php? ReleaseID=14 Pew Research Center Survey (2006). Chapter 7: Ideology and Policy Issues. Retrieved from http://pewhispanic. org/files/reports/75. 7. pdf Reshaping politics. Economist, 00130613, 1/9/2010, Vol. 394, Issue 8664 Retrieved from http://search. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=47437302&site=ehost-live Schaefer, R. (2006). Hispanic Americans. Week Seven Reading: Chapter 9. Retrieved from ETH/125—Cultural Diversity website. References Insert References Here.

The Black Death in the Middle Ages Research Paper

The Black Death in the Middle Ages - Research Paper Example The bacillus normally persists as a mild infection in the bloodstream of infected rats. The rat flea, or Xenopsylla cheopis, is the vector which transmits the bacillus to other rats. In unusual circumstances, such as the absence of an adequate rodent population, the flea may bite and infect humans. The human immune system is very vulnerable to the bacillus and the plague is usually fatal1. A study of the origin, spread, characteristics and significance of the Black Death in the Middle Ages shows that it was one of the greatest catastrophes in human history. The origin of the Black Death can be traced through historical accounts to Central Asia: â€Å"The earliest documented appearance --- occurred in 1346, in the Mongol territory called the Khanate of the Golden Horde† in present-day southern Russia2. The plague crossed biological barriers in Central Asia to attack and decimate the marmot population. These dead mammals were skinned by Asian trappers and the hides became a part of the merchandise which travelled down the famous ‘Silk Road’ from China, across Asia and to the Crimea.3 The outbreak is reported to have emerged after earthquakes and strange atmospheric conditions. The pestilence first ravaged the teeming populations of China and India, and moved to Persia, supposedly resulting in twenty-four million casualties in the East. There are accounts of horrendous casualties in China, India, Mesopotamia, Cairo, Syria and Cyprus. Gabriele de’ Mussis, a notary of Piacenza, writes that â€Å"In the year 1346, in eastern parts an immense number of Tartars and Saracens fell victims to a sudden and mysterious death.† ... Tartars and Saracens fell victims to a sudden and mysterious death.†5 The Tartars besieged the Black Sea port of Caffa (modern Feodosia), a Genoese settlement in the Crimea, where Italian merchants had taken refuge. The Tartars reportedly catapulted plague-infected corpses into Caffa, spreading the infection to the Genoese, who in turn carried it to Genoa. By 1348, the plague had moved from the seaports to reach the inland areas of Alexandria, Tunisia, Italy and France. It jumped across the seas to Britain, Ireland and Norway. It continued to spread until, â€Å"By 1350 virtually all of western and central Europe has been affected.†6 The plague moved eastwards to Poland and the Baltic lands the next year and then back to Central Asia in 1353, when it finally subsided. Historians currently estimate that, between 1346 –1353, the Black Death may have caused 50 million deaths in Europe. This constituted about 60 percent of the population. The characteristic symptoms o f the Black Death show it to have been a lethal combination of the Bubonic plague and the pneumonic plague. At the onset of the bacillus’ entry into the human bloodstream, the immune system responded with fever and the swelling of the lymph nodes in an attempt to flush out the contagion. These painful, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits and groin, were called buboes: hence Bubonic plague. These swellings were referred to as the gavocciolo. Boccaccio states that some of these swellings â€Å"were egg-shaped while others were roughly the size of the common apple.†7 By the third day the victim experienced high fever, diarrhea and delirium and the skin showed dark splotches due to the rupture of blood capillaries and the clotting of blood beneath the epidermis. This darkening of the skin may be the

KATARIAN RESPECTING PATIENTS AUTONOMY Coursework - 1

KATARIAN RESPECTING PATIENTS AUTONOMY - Coursework Example Consequently, a hypertension care plan must be drafted at first. 2. Next, Miss Downs must pay more frequent visits to the patient and consistently labor to build confidence and engage in dialog. Miss Downs must tell her about cleaning herself. She must show firmness over the issues regarding proper sanitation. 3. After the initial counseling, there is less likeliness of a discernable effect. The reason is that Miss Jenkins has already got very much habituated in her appallingly untidy way of life. So, it should be clearly understood and elucidated at this stage that Miss Downs cannot come to see Miss Jenkins again and again and do the things like clearing her bedpan and mending her footwear. 4. Next, Miss Downs must first collect necessary feedbacks and reports from the neighbors of her patient. Then, she should utilize community care manpower for removing Jenkins from her place. This is to be done by force if necessary in the presence of a qualified gerontologist. 5. Finally, Jenkins would be referred to the community fiduciary. Psychiatric intervention will be immensely necessary at this stage. Medics experienced in handling psychiatric cases can figure out if Miss Jenkins is suffering from any mental disorder that makes her reluctant to clean herself. The matter of cleaning oneself cannot be left to one’s sole personal discretion. If there is an outbreak of a communicable disease (for example, influenza), then an old, untidy person is highly vulnerable. Moreover, Miss Jenkins lives alone and she won’t be able to take care of herself if she develops problems like skin disease or severe dysentery due to untidy living. She may also fall prey to food poisoning if she does not wash her hands before taking her meals. Instead of high level philosophical thinking, some practical work has to be done in this scenario. Experts like Bondeson and

The Violence of Video Games on Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Violence of Video Games on Children - Essay Example Violent video games can have a serious negative effect on children, by giving them aggressive thoughts and actions. Aggressive acts are â€Å"acts that make a person more likely to commit a dangerous or harmful act† (McCormick, 2001, 279). Video games make some children aggressive in all of their behavior. Children who like to play video games sometimes try to imitate those things in real life. Video games make children become lost in the game and can be very addictive. In addition, video games make children scared because they have challenges with opponents in the game. Children who play video games may also experience emotional imbalance or bad dreams when they go to sleep. Because of the use of video games children â€Å"behave more aggressively† with their siblings and friends (Whitaker, 2009). When a child plays video games that have aggressive behavior, they will want to repeat that behavior with their siblings or friends. Children typically apply what they learn from violent video games to real life. Violent games reinforce bad behavior in children and can negatively affect the friendly relationship between siblings. In addition, children can also lack of a sense of their feelings. Children become violent with their siblings or friends because they cannot control themselves and their feelings of anger. Children who cannot get along with their friends without using violence think that they can always get what they want. Also, they feel glad when they make someone cry. Also, sometimes when they can’t win they will take it out on their siblings or friends. Children who play violent video games can thus become very antisocial because they don’t know how to get along with their peers. Another side effect of violent video games is that children may become less obedient to their parents and teachers. They may think they are smarter than those people and lie to them if they think they can get away with it. Children often need to stay with their parents and siblings so they can talk about real life issues, but video games can distract their attention. This negative behavior can make children stubborn. In addition, violent video games cause children to miss out on valuable lessons from their parents and teachers. These children often don’t follow school rules or respect the teachers. Once this happens, it is only a matter of time before these children suffer from poor grades due to their decreased focus on studying. Some of these same children will even go to school with having enough sleep and so they will be very tired. Video games can also destroy a child’s personality because it will lead them to not do homework. Some children can forget to do homework because they are so busy playing video games. Students can also lose interest in other activities. Video games prevent them from exercising because that time is spent playing video games instead. These children don’t read anymore because the y have found something that is much more exciting than reading. Therefore, their reading ability begins to suffer. These children also cannot go to play football outside with their friends because they are too busy enjoying time by themselves when they play video games. Furthermore, some children have drawing talent, yet when they ultimately get into video games

Punishment Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Punishment - Term Paper Example They can be fined, incarcerated or sentenced to death for the gravest offences in some countries such as the US, Japan, China and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia among others. Corporal punishment is applied by teachers and parents in schools and in the family setting to encourage good behavior among children. The issue of punishment usually raises concerns in regard to the different understanding and application of punishment across different spheres in the society. Contentions arise in trying to determine the standards for determining the severity of a moral violation, and the punishment that fits it. This paper presents a critique of the moral principles that might be used to determine the match between moral violation and punishment. Hart postulated some elements that may be used to justify punishment. For example, he argues that the punishment has to be for an offence that is contrary to the set of laws in a particular state and also has to be enforced and undertaken by an authority that is defined by a legal system, which the offender is in breach of (qtd. in Sverdlik, 180). This indicates that the punishment should only be based on particular rules that have been set and therefore punishment for offences that are beyond the legally known rules is not justifiable. This argument leaves teachers and parents in a position whereby they are not justified in regard to the punishments that they give to children. They punish the children depending on their perception regarding what is right or wrong. The appropriateness of the punishment is usually not clear and the legality of punishments in schools as well as at home is disputable. The same case applies in the punishments meted out on individuals who engage in antis ocial behaviors in the society. For instance, mob justice is one of the punishments that the public resorts to after catching a suspected criminal. The punishment that

As you suggest Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

As you suggest - Essay Example The policy makes the topic very important in understanding how the labor market is fast changing. WIOA is a policy signed into law on July 22, 2014, and it was to take effect at the beginning of 2015. The policy was aimed at equipping job seekers access employments, education, training and support services that can enable them to succeed in the labor market (Nebraska Department of Labor, 2015). Similarly, the policy allows job seekers to gain the skills that employers require, making them compete globally (Nebraska Department of Labor, 2015). The enactment of this law has seen women increase their participation in the labor market because it has increased the opportunities. Women have benefited much more than the male gender because the policy equips them with necessary skills for their participation. For the past years, the number of women in the labor market has remained small because of the perception of lack of the necessary skills to perform the assigned duties (OCTAE, 2015). However, the enactment of this law has made it necessary for women and other job seekers to have equal chances of getting employed. It also equalizes their chances of getting relevant education, training, and skills for the jobs and complete assigned duties. Importantly, the policy offers a win-win situation for employers and job seekers (OCTAE, 2015). For instance, it equips job seekers with the knowledge they need to have concerning a given sector and the assignment they are likely to encounter. Through this, they get empowered and ready to deliver on the assigned duties. On the other hand, employers gain from the competitive job seekers that have knowledge of what they can do (Doleta.org, 2015). Because of this, the employers have a range of choices and expertise to select. Therefore, the policy is imperative to making job seekers become competitive and impress their employers at any given time. Moreover, the nation will also benefit from this

Is Jekyll And Hyde Just A Gothic Horror Essay Example for Free

Is Jekyll And Hyde Just A Gothic Horror Essay Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson is a typical Gothic horror story in the way the novel is written and described. Some people may disagree with this statement because in the Cambridge guide to English literature, Gothic fiction is described as a type of novel or romance popular in the late 18th and early 19th century and the word Gothic had come to mean wild barbarous and crude. Gothic novels were usually set in the past and in foreign countries, they took place in monasteries, castles and dungeons. Plots hinged on suspense and mystery often involving the supernatural. Having read the statement and also Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde some parts of the statement do not agree with the novel, for example, the novel is set in London and there are no castles or dungeons. Where as in Dracula by Bram Stoker and also Frankenstein by Mary Shelley are both set in foreign countries and also in mysterious locations Dracula being set in a castle and Frankenstein in a laboratory. To deal with human nature Stevenson discusses the ideas of Charles Darwin. Around the 19th century Charles Darwin began to write theories of animals and evolution, Stevenson was obviously influenced by these ideas and uses them to describe one of the main characters Mr Hyde. Stevenson also mentions religion when he discusses the ideas of Christian and non-Christian aspects in the novel. Stevenson uses lots of Gothic images, one of the first gothic parts of the novel is the trampling of the young girl. This scene is described as a black winter morning with the word black being very strong in that sentence because it makes the place seem evil and sends a shiver down your spine. The location is Gothic as it gives off a sense of darkness and fear. This is the part of the novel where religion is first mentioned, although it is not part of the Christian area of religion. Stevenson describes Hyde, as a juggernaught when he tramples over the young girl this is very strange considering juggernaught was something associated with the Hindu religion. Another Gothic feature in the novel is the murder of Sir Danvers Carew, two quotations which are Gothic are The bones audibly crunching and The body jumped upon the roadway. These sentences are quite interesting in the way they are described, first the crunching is a good use of an onomatopoeia by Stevenson, as the word crunching is very disturbing and you can almost hear the bones crunching in your head. The second makes you think of a dead body jumping around on the road. This is Gothic because the act that Hyde commits is an evil one, and where it actually takes place is a mysterious and strange location. The meeting of the two men also has an air of mystery surrounding it, as they meet in the dead of night when no one else is around. Stevenson uses the ideas of Darwin to write his description of Hyde, in the novel Hyde is described as an ape ..with ape like fury he clubbed him to the earth. A Gothic location is a place where it is usually dark, dingy and foggy a sinister place that you really would not like to be. For example Draculas castle is a gothic location, because it is old and also because it is dark and mysterious. Many of the locations in the novel are gothic, one of them being the description of Hydes house and the street outside. The novel quotes the fog lifted a little and showed him a dingy street. Then in the same chapter Stevenson describes the front of the dissecting room as a Sinister block of building and two storey high, no window. This house seems mysterious by the way it has no window and it leaves you wondering right from the very start of the novel what is actually inside that building. One of the strange things that I noticed when reading the novel is the description of the surrounding area when Dr Jekyll is there towards the end of the book, the novel quotes Fine clear January day, wet under foot where the frost had melted.,and the Regents park was full of winter chirrupings and sweet with spring odours. This is obviously not Gothic at all but it seems unusual that this is the only location in the novel, which is non-Gothic. It seems strange that Stevenson has decided to change from Gothic into something completely different, which really has no real connection to the story, itself. Human nature features in a number of areas in the novel. One of them is the murder of Sir Danvers Carew, besides being Gothic this has something to say about human nature as well. When Hyde begins to go mad and he kills Carew, the novel quotes all of a sudden, he broke out in a great flame of anger. Here Stevenson is using the element of madness and the ideas of schizophrenia, which was being researched around the 19th century. Stevenson also uses Darwins theories of evolution to describe Hyde as inhuman, with ape-like fury. Here the message that Stevenson is trying to give about human nature is that humans have the will and the power to kill something and each other. Stevenson also looks at the idea of split personalities; nearly every character has one. Dr Jekyll is the best example because his character is full of good and evil, when he turns into Hyde he is just pure evil. So when Jekyll loses control he changes from himself into Hyde. Stevenson is saying here that evil is more powerful than good in humans and that is why Hyde overpowers Jekyll, because he is pure evil. In the opening chapter of the novel when Hyde is first mentioned when he tramples over that girl .the man trampled calmly over the childs body then Hyde decides to pay à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½100, we screwed him up to one hundred pounds. Hyde does this instead of apologising to keep the family quiet. This is another example of human nature where some people including Hyde try to pay their way out of trouble. Overall, I feel what Stevenson is trying to say about human nature is that all humans have vices such as drinking and gambling. The creation of Hyde allows Jekyll to do what he wants, when he wants and hopefully he will not get caught. Jekyll does not want to have his reputation ruined, so that is why he creates Hyde so he can do all these things. Stevenson is saying that humans have pessimistic views so they will act evil to get away with something. In conclusion, I think that this novel is a Gothic horror story, but also does have something to say about human nature. Stevenson does mention human nature in the novel as I have discussed previously, for example the trampling of the girl and the murder of Danvers Carew. Of course, the novel could not have discussed human nature if Stevensons wife, Fanny had not been involved. In Jenni Calders introduction to Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Calder writes Stevenson dreamt the essentials of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It was initially the Gothic aspect of the story that excited him. Fanny didnt like it, she felt there was more potential for more than just a mere horror story, that it might have something to say about human nature. Overall, the human nature aspect of the novel, makes the story more interesting.

Key Theories Of Desistance From Crime Criminology Essay

Key Theories Of Desistance From Crime Criminology Essay When a criminal is able to stop the behavior that characterizes his or her criminal activities, the gradual process involved is what is termed as desistance. Apart from the fact that it has practical applications for probation workers with criminal offenders from the community, desistance also has a strong link and connection in the rehabilitation of a criminal. However, it is evident that theories of desistance when compared to the theories of the start of criminal behavior have not been fully researched on and expanded in the field of criminology (Smith, 2007). It is therefore a good sign when studies of desistance increase drastically especially since the last twenty years; this has been particularly noticeable after the formulation of the life course theory that was done by Sampson and Laub. But as Piquero (2004:103) explains, continued research has been significantly affected by methodological and theoretical issues. Moreover, theorists in the field have not been able to come up with a universal definition of desistance. Consequently this paper endeavors to create a workable definition of desistance and to furthermore give a preview of the updated main facts and theories of desistance. Understanding desistance Oxford Dictionary defines desistance as, to desist or to stop doing something; cease or abstain. Applying this definition to criminology is however a bit technical. The big question is usually about time, if a criminal is able to stop a certain criminal behavior for four weeks for example, is it correct to classify him or her as an accomplished case of desistance? What is the recommended time for one to be sure that he or she is free from the crime? Developing a clear definition of desistance therefore becomes quite an issue especially since it is not well understood whether or not relapse and recidivism are crucial in the study of desistance. The option of observing a criminals past behavior to best highlights his or her possible future behavior is also still not well structured (LeBel et al, 2004). Laub and Sampson (2001) as a matter of fact agree that a definition of desistance cannot be made, they support that the questions in a particular research best deduce the definition of d esistance for the researcher (cited in Maruna, 2006). According to Shadd Maruna, for a habitual offender, any recognizable time spent without doing any crime is called primary desistance. However studies on recidivism and relapse cannot be complete without an outline of achieving long term desistance. Maruna goes on to therefore state that secondary desistance is when a criminal is able to change his identity and take an almost permanent direction to a life free of the initial crime that was a norm in his behavior. Studying secondary desistance is important as it seeks to understand how initial offenders can be able to keep a distance from their crimes. Desistance is therefore not the final result of the end of a crime; it is actually the process that is gradual and continuous till the end result of successful desistance. Sampson and Laub (2001) acknowledge that there is a huge difference between the stopping an offence and the continuous change to a crime free lifestyle. They mark that as compared to theories of offending, desistance theories have not yet been fully studied and explained, however desistance is now understood as the procedure necessary for acquiring a n accomplished state of non-offence. It is important that a criminal who wants to change must be willing to change his or her self identity and concept to be able to grasp the full context of change. Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990) explain that on the contrary it is a common occurrence to find ex-offenders who have undergone desistance commit other acts of deviance, (cited in Sampson and Laub, 2003: 298). Desistance is therefore basically the ability of a former criminal to be able to completely withdraw from a crime and to maintain being in that state regardless of the challenges involved when trying to keep away. Some of these challenges are drug abuse and addiction, unemployment, few academic opportunities, social pressure and return to environments with high crime rates (Richards and Jones, 2004). Career criminals are those who have been criminal offenders for a considerably long period of time (Maruna, 2001). According to Laub and Sampson (2003), career criminals rather than small time offenders should be given more attention in researches on desistance. However another major problem in the study of desistance is the availability of completely successful offenders in desistance to the researchers in the field (Maruna, 2001; Burnett, 2004). Total desistance to many ex-offenders is quite a hard step as most of them usually end up going back to their initial criminal tendencies (Piquero, 2004). Addiction is a very significant factor that is more often overlooked yet its contribution to the whole process of desistance has a major impact on the ability of a criminal to completely change. It is therefore important to understand the connection between the two before arriving at a definition of desistance. From a number of researches it has been recognized that the link between addiction and criminal activities is actually very strong. A drug addict is therefore more likely to engage in crimes (Maruna, 2001). Moreover the cause of addiction and criminality are as a matter of fact very similar. Frisher and Beckett (2006:141) found that a large percentage of drug abusers are very active members in criminal gangs. Therefore, when defining desistance, it is necessary to note that the complete resistance of both criminal offending and drug abuse must be realized (Maruna, 2001). To achieve the purpose of this paper desistance can be described and defined as the initial process allowing quality desistance from drug abuse, criminality and other forms of deviance for an ex- criminal. Quality desistance in this case is the is the total termination of previous criminal behaviors together with other possible forms of deviance like drug abuse for at least ten years accompanied by a change in the identity of an individual. Desistance theories Ageing Age has been found to be a significant factor in criminology, as one grows older it is noted that their level of criminality greatly reduces. (Smith, 2007; Sampson and Laub, 2003; Gluecks, 1943; cited in Sampson and Laub, 2003; Gottfredson and Hirschi, 1990; cited in Sampson and Laub, 2003). In 2000 in the United Kingdom 19 year olds were found to have committed crimes fifty times more those which men of over fifty years had committed. According to research the total lifespan of a criminal is usually general considering factors like early deaths, imprisonment and when a criminal is evolving to avoid being detected (Maruna, 2006). In a research of 411 criminal males in London, Farrington (1990) realized that as the criminals grew older, their crimes reduced greatly with time but this however depended on different types of crimes (cited in Smith, 2007). For example, burglary is at its highest at age 20 while fraud and drug abuse offences record their highest at the age of 25 all the way to 30 as burglary sets on a steady decline afterwards. Nevertheless for the persistent hardcore criminals into their 70s, there was a clear connection between their age and their crime rates according to studies by Laub and Sampson (2003, 2005, 2005b). Furthermore they realized that alcohol and drug offences were their highest in the mid- thirties as compared to other offences. They finally came to a conclusion that both age and the type of crimes affect the whole process of desistance as well. However there have been different explanations to the not clear age crime curve. Developmental criminologists have been able to link the age of an offender and the capability of total desistance to childhood related issues. (Mulver et al, 1988; cited in Sampson and Laub, 2003; Nagin, 2005; cited in Sampson and Laub, 2005a) Offenders are therefore divided into two distinct groups, the adolescent and the persistent adult offenders. As a result it will be evident that in their late teens the adolescents will be able to grown out of crime and will be able to work on their social circles basically due to their education and good social integration skills. The adult offender however will find it very hard to terminate deviancy due to unsuccessful relationships, academic prospects and also due to their low cognitive capabilities (Moffitt, 1993; 1994; cited in Sampson and Laub, 2003). As a result of this theory, criminals are therefore grouped into two separate groups that are very different from each other due to childhood causes. And for any chance of desistance then one has to be in the right group. Sampson and Laub (2003; 2005a; 2005b) on the other hand are against that approach and explain that anyone can be successful in desistance irrespective of which group they fall in (2003:179). According to them childhood factors of offence do not determine desistance but instead help to explain the whole process of desis tance. Gottfredson and Hirschi have their views as well and point out that with the gradual process of growing old offenders usually find themselves stopping deviance (1995; cited in Sampson and Laub, 2003). They expound that for any organism there is always a stage of discontinuity that applies to criminology and the study of desistance and its links with age. Consequently, desistance becomes an expected phenomenon in the normal life of a criminal. Maruna (2001) however does not fully agree with this because according to him desistance, especially at the beginning, takes a huge amount of emotional, psychological and even physical effort and resources. Gluecks (1943) agrees with this too because he highlighted that desistance is from a change that comes with maturity, meaning, an offender gradually stops committing a crime (cited in Sampson and Laub, 2003). This process is more often evidenced after the age 25 when a criminal starts tiring and gets less involved with crime. This theory howe ver is not left out on the criticisms since it is claimed that it does not fully address the issue of age and its role in desistance (Maruna, 2001; Sampson and Laub, 2003). Acknowledging that age is a significant factor in desistance, Sampson and Laub (1992) further argue that the importance of turning points in life and social contacts is underestimated in the maturational reform (cited in Maruna, 2001). Life Course Theory A significant study on 500 men up to the age of 32 was carried in the 1930s and 1940s by the Gluecks (1943; cited in Sampson and Laub, 2003; 2005a; 2005b). Sampson and Laub later on in an impressive research followed up on 52 of these men and investigated on their criminal career to the age of 70. They found out that the causes of desistance and persistence are actually opposites, namely, deliberately productive agency, establishment of limits in social relationships and organized routine activities (Sampson and Laub, 2003; 2005a; 2005b; 2006). Their finding indicated that job stability, military service and marriage were able to positively contribute to achieving desistance. These turning points were realized in the process of desistance whereby an offender seeks to start a new life by changing location or even starting a new job like entering the military for example. This however does not necessarily involve starting over, sometimes these offenders work to gain back and maintain t heir original contacts like a job or a marriage in their quest to stop their criminal tendencies. Whichever path desistance takes these turning points often lead to: an elimination of the past chance for the growth and development of new social contacts that have a positive effect on an individual types of direct and indirect evaluation and observance of character planned routines with a central concern to family rather than peers circumstances allowing for change in identity and development of new scripts of a new self These factors, they explain are true and are not affected by the type of marriage and the crime life of an individual , though informal, parenthood and cohabiting have also been linked to successful desistance (Sampson and Laub, 2006; Katz, 1999). Individuals with none of these social bonds are also more able to stop offending because; in the end they do not lose anything. Rebecca Katz (1999:13) indicates that, families may play a significant role in developing desistance since family influences self control and delinquency. Life course theory emphasizes on the strong influence of the social environment to offending explaining that absence of criminal peers reduces the chances of an individual ever engaging in offences and in the end positive attitudes favoring change will grow (Warr, 1998; cited in Sampson and Laub, 2003). Life Course Theory contradicts the link between developmental theories in criminal careers and desistance. It agrees that adulthood experiences are essential as w ell but to some point more significant in establishing the possible trajectory of desistance (2003). Circumstances, structural set-ups and personal choices all work together to promote desistance. The theme that desistance is a systematic process that continuously gets renewed, underestimates the importance of research on personal encouragement and the influence of social environment (Sampson and Laub, 2003:171) Agency Yet another essential element that has been pointed out as key in achieving successful desistance is agency. (Burnett, 2004; Maruna, 2001; McNeill, 2006; Maguire et al, 2006; Maruna, 2001; Sampson and Laub, 2005 a). The theory of rational offence understands the fact that a criminal is able to make decisions based on his judgment of what is good or bad according to him in his crime life. Agency therefore works hand in hand with rational choice in the key decision making processes of a criminal. Agency is important since it assists in the overall process of making a rational choice. Furthermore, when the inconsistent prototypes of criminal activities are considered together with financial and familial challenges most criminal encounter the theory of rational choice cannot by its own back up volitions to desist (Burnett, 2004; Sampson and Laub, 2005b). In their study of the Gluecks men Sampson and Laub (2005a) discovered that agency was a necessary component in the process of desistanc e. There is more to the structural support in the process of desistance, agency is required to offer the determination and persistence part of the equation. Agency determines the will to keep moving on and only those who are persistent will be able to manage the whole process. Measuring the determination and charge to persist the whole process of desistance is quite a challenge and as a result creates yet another crucial factor in the concept of turning points (Maruna, 2001) (Sampson and Laub, 2005a:177). Moreover it is a quintessential component in the study of desistance and persistence in a criminal career that has however not been fully researched to date. In their research of the life course theory Sampson and Laub assert that they have been seeking to explain the importance of the human agency as an aid in understanding desistance and other deviance forms (2003:177). Knifing offà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ ones past, has come out to be a vital element to describe the ability to be able to accomplish a successful desistance for some individuals. To achieve this voluntarily, agency is necessary since it is one of the most difficult things to do and needs a lot of determination. It is a process that is more often accompanied by cutting all past contacts and establishing new ones for example geographical location and family. Most importantly though, Maruna et al (2006a) explained that it can as well involve change from the inside, or a change in the way the offender thinks about him or herself, their past, and their environment. It is this positive change that motivates an offender to persist on and maintain desistance for longer (Maruna, 2001; Sampson and Laub, 2003; 2005a; Maguire et al, 2006). Contemplation time was found to be a crucial moment that assisted in creating a turning point to desistance according to a study by Margaret Hughes (1998). And it was found that the opportunity to contemplate came as a result of a change in geographical location, imprisonment and residential treatment programmes. Hughes participants found their desire to change develop when they removed from the usual environments and being able to get ample time for self actualization. Social identity Researchers have tried to explain the phenomenon whereby some individual are able to sustain long term resistance while others do not, and it has been discovered that apart from agency, an individuals self identity change is similarly necessary. When an offender creates a a different set of beliefs and perspective chances of maintaining desistance are normally guaranteed to some point (Burnett, 2004). That is why programs like the cognitive behavioral therapy and the 12 step that work to develop a change in personal identity are advocated for during incarceration (Maruna, 2001). Each and every individual, whether an ex-offender, offender or normal citizen has a unique self identity through which their actions are guided upon, it is therefore as a result of this mechanisms that give people the different circumstances they exist in. The significance of change in a criminal life is often subjectified by self-narratives (McNiell, 2006). More often though not a fact; self narratives have been of assistance when people seek to explain their actions. Narratives very often change throughout the life course and understanding narratives, helps individuals realize the significance of past and present events in our lives (Sampson and Laub, 2005a). In a desistance study in Liverpool, Shadd Maruna investigated the different self narratives of two distinct groups of offenders whereby one persisted and the other desisted, to account for the changes in ex-offender identities (Maruna, 2001). He was able to find out that both the desisting and persistent criminals actually had more or less the same personality characteristics and were not as agreeable and conscious as the general population. Self-narratives are the only components that divided the two groups after thorough interviews. Active offenders had what Maruna called a, condemnation scriptà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ (2001), meaning, they saw life as an unfortunate abyss of hostility and uncertainty. They believed that circumstances had pushed them to their present situation and there was nothing they could do to change things and that the authority pushed them even further away. Desisting ex-offenders on the other hand had a positive outlook on their past and present and this is what assi sted them to continue with their desistance process. It is this self-narrative that may be the tool needed for successful desistance. The past and present life of an ex-offender is often different and this is almost basically due to the self narrative (Maruna et al, 2007). This self narrative attaches a psychological component to the real facts of the past and creates a purpose and meaning in the life of an offender. This is what brings about the positive outlook and assists in achieving desistance. In a study focused completely on religious changes of rehabilitated offenders, Maruna et al discovered that their self-narrative was interestingly altered after changing their religious beliefs (Maruna et al, 2006b). As a result the importance of this self narrative is once more highlighted as it helps an offender realize that the past can be changed and that the future has a hope even for those in long sentences. The offender is therefore able to have a new sense of identity, empowerment, purpose and forgiveness. The self narratives of most offenders in the desisting group have a common characteristic Maruna describes as, the redemption scriptà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ (2001). This is basically the belief that an offender is a good person and that his or her past was merely as a result of circumstances of crime, recidivism and addiction. As a result of this, the offenders are able to endeavor to live new lives as they continue in with their desistance. They are then able to view themselves as role models with the necessary knowledge and experience to advice and educate the next generations, something Maruna calls, Making Goodà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸. The major difference therefore between the desisting offenders and the persistent ones is the positive energy they surround themselves with. Confidence and self belief are as a result pointed out to be essential qualities as they guide an offender to understand that their past was a necessary component for them to be where they are at the present. This redemptive narrative helps them realize that they are not their past and that their future is what that matters. The acknowledgement of a supreme power beyond them has also been a contributing factor in the lives of these offenders. This is because they realize that their past might have been a plan to give them the positions they hold in the present, like being counselors and youth leaders. This moral superiority and change from the past, according to Maruna, is to make up for long stretches of lost life. During desistance according to Stephen Farrall some offenders undergo long periods of creating new social identities (2006:85). However much these offenders change, it is not forgotten that they acknowledge they are responsible for their criminal past. Ideologies that ex-offenders feel responsibility and burden from their past crimes are actually not evidenced by researches (Maruna, 2007). Successful offenders in desistance often admit to the guilt of their past but they however rationalize their actions and justify or blame themselves and accept that circumstances might have pushed them to criminality. Sometimes however they do not accept their actions and believe that the society pushed them to crime. This however does not cultivate the necessity of an ex-offender to acknowledge the wrongs from past life rather than putting blame on the society and the initial environment (Maruna, 2001). The Liverpool Desistance Study prove that a concurrent characteristic of the redemption script is an offender accepting to take control of changing his future however they do not acknowledge their past crimes. However a concurrent observation is made that most candidates of successful desistance accept responsibility for their past and future and have the will to persist the challenges they will face. Maruna (2001:88) consequently gives the summary of the desisting persons narrative as: development of inner beliefs that truly describes an individuals personality a positive look at an individuals capability of changing in the future the purpose driven enthusiasm of giving back to the community particularly the next generation Life-Course-Persistent and Moffit Adolescence Deviance: Groups of Development Moffitts (1993) concept of dual taxonomy of offending similarly tries to explain the processes of desistance and persistence. Moffitt (ibid) outlined that offenders can be grouped into two; adolescent limiteds and life persisters. Moffitt proposes that the two groups are different and unique from each other in their offence and desistance processes, with the life course persisters having a different aetiology to the adolescent limited offenders. It is explained that they may be suffering neurological problems that affects their cognitive and learning skills. This is therefore evidenced by poor social skills even in the family leading to the various forms of anti social behavior and poor self control Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990). Early signs of antisocial behavior are a common characteristic of life course persisters (for example under-age drinking, premarital sex) as a result they are often excommunicated from their initial societal setting because of poor behavior, development and social bonds. Early signs of antisocial behaviors like these are normally a clear indication of a persistent criminal career in the future. This will be in connection to the age graded theory meaning there patterns of crime will be different and theirs will be a continuous cycle of events of affected marriages, work, education and relationships. Moffitt continues to argue that adolescent limited are not affected by any neurological problems like life course persisters and are able to successfully develop their social networks and cognitive skills. Therefore the causal factors for their criminality are connected to the gap between social development, age and desires. Age for example prevents them from engaging in adult behavior like sex or drinking. As a result of deviance from their desires, they tend to associate with the life course persister leading to the growth of their deviance. However, due to their developed social skills and academic success they are likely to be able to change more easily if they choose desistance. This is because they will be able to depend on their strong social bonds for support. Maruna (cited Laub Sampson 2001) explains that as a result of giving more credit to dispositional rather than personality traits, the proper steps involved in discovering the consistency of criminality is achieved. Sampson and Laub note that when personality traits do not change gradually with time people are still more often capable of making a change. Researchers therefore have to examine other factors influencing personalities like personal strategies and self-perceptions Maruna (cited ibid). Narrative script There are two distinct narrative script types in the desistance literature that highlight how criminals really view themselves and their societal roles. For the persisters their script usually has a concurrent theme of condemnation. More often they blame external conditions like poor family relations and lack of education for their criminality. They generally have an external locus of control. In contrast the offenders who finally become successful in desistance have a redemption script. They are complete opposites of the latter and are fully responsible for their actions. As a result they make a positive choice to stop the crime by accepting rehabilitation programmes. They are described to have an internal locus of control. Factors that influence the particular narrative script that gets adopted by a criminal are majorly internal factors such as personality and genetics especially after rehabilitation. A higher chance of a redemptive script is noted to be as a result of intense rehabilitation. A probation workers relationship with an offender has also been linked to affect desistance. It is there important for these officers to have empathy skills that are crucial in the process of guiding an offender to desistance as they strive to be able to re-integrate back into the society. Relevance of desistance theory The desistance theory is relevant in a number of different applied and academic professions. The desistance theory to researchers may provide a foundation to be able to examine the different factors that contribute to the cessation of a criminal offence from a theoretical view. The desistance theory allows for a number of different crimes in history and their approaches like the Lombrosian biological positivism, to have consideration in the present society which has an evident difference in its ways of thinking. As a result criminology is more understood and its relationship with other disciplines like psychology, politics and social policy acknowledged. This will consequently allow the development of collaboration for a positive cause of reducing re offence rates. The desistance theory on a practical level has assisted the criminal justice system (CJS) to identify possible solutions to cases of reoffending of successful candidates of desistance through for example initiating community based sentences. This kind of programme is sure to gradually decrease the number of criminals in HM Prison Service institutions for short periods. Studies have shown that short-term sentences in prisons for example (those for less than six months) often lead to increased crime rates after release. This is well explained by the fact that these short-term prisoners to not undergo complete metamorphosis from not covering all the rehabilitation programs. Their exposure to the hard core criminals in the prisons who have been there for longer and have been experienced criminals also contributes to their overall change. In addition desistance theory assists in the continuous development of training programmes for the respective professionals responsible for working with ex-offenders in the community. For example the Probation Service (see Narrative script section, above). Controversies It is important for the general public to realize that desistance is achievable and takes time. Offenders should therefore not be viewed as bad people who cannot live with others even after rehabilitation programs. The public is therefore advised not to discriminate these groups of people in their society. Reintegration cases of offenders back into the society have always caused massive outrages by a large percentage of the public community. There are numerous related cases of such circumstances that have often been quite difficult and delicate to handle. For example in 2011, the case of the reintegration of Jason Owen, he had been imprisoned for allegedly taking part in the killing of Baby P (Peter Connelly) in 2007, and in 2011 he was the released after his sentence was over. The Sun newspaper immediately kicked off a campaign to find him. Readers were urged to write and report to the newspaper of any knowledge of his whereabouts. There was an article in the same newspaper that sent sentiments of outrage over the fact that the ex-convict had actually tried to find a job. This is a clear indication of how the effort of successful psychological research can be nullified by news reports in the popular media. This kind of outrageous reporting is especially a common characteristic of Tabloid newspapers. Their influence over the public is often impressive and they are as a result able to manipulate and affect the attitudes of the wider public towards their view of desistance and offenders. As a result of this, future recidivism is often developed gradually due to the ill-informed public. Newspapers then use this recidivism as proof of their initial correctness. Conclusion